That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

Jiang Jingming hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

How pitiful that senior woman was; she offered her heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the ditch.

She flirted with him even though he was blind.

"In short, if you encounter a strong enemy, you should temporarily avoid their sharp edge."

Gu Tinghan snapped out of his reverie and resumed his expressionless, cold demeanor.

"Let that fellow live for now, and I'll come and take him."

Chapter Six: Lone Shadow

Jiang Jingming returned from the cliff and ran into He Quan.

Tian Shu, one of the Seven Stars, serves as the steward in the sect. He has a stern and serious square face and is busy with various chores all day long.

At this moment, his face turned red and his neck bulged, which looked quite abnormal.

"Uncle He?"

Jiang Jingming had just finished greeting them when he saw Shen Zhuo chasing after him from behind.

"Little Lord."

He Quan took a breath and clasped his hands in a salute.

He's probably the only one in the church who strictly enforces these rituals.

Shen Zhuo nodded to Jiang Jingming, then sighed and patted He Quan on the shoulder.

"The leader has already made up his mind about this matter. Given his personality, no matter how much you try to persuade him, it won't work. You should know this best."

"But this matter is of utmost importance. The young master is still young. How can he risk his life?"

He Quan clenched his fists and suppressed his voice.

Jiang Jingming then realized that he had just had an argument with Jiang Wuwang because of his plan to go to Zhongzhou.

He Quan, who usually treated Jiang Wuwang with the utmost respect and obeyed his every command, actually blushed because of this matter.

"Uncle He, it's alright."

Jiang Jingming smiled and showed him the Wujiu in his hand.

"Look, even Master Gu thinks I'm ready to graduate."

"Young Master..."

He Quan still looked worried, his usual meticulous demeanor gone, and he looked like a fierce-looking but easy-going neighbor uncle.

Jiang Jingming had no choice but to continue trying to comfort him.

"Besides, I'm not alone, Aqing will be with me."

Hearing him mention Aqing, He Quan's expression softened slightly.

That little girl possessed a calmness beyond her years, like a bottomless pool of water.

Moreover, everyone knows that she is the kind of person who would risk her life for the young master.

Seeing He Quan's nervous appearance, Jiang Jingming suddenly thought of when he first came to Mangya.

At that time, his vigilance had not completely subsided, and he always had a cold face, as if others owed him a lot of money.

Seeing this, He Quan took him to choose a foal in order to cheer him up.

Finally, he chose the most difficult wild horse to tame. He Quan worked hard without complaint, brushing the horse's coat and feeding it hay every day, making the horse extremely beautiful.

"Uncle He, I'll be back once I've found out what happened. It won't be long."

Jiang Jingming smiled and changed the subject.

"Where's Uncle Du? I've traveled so far this time, he should at least give me some extra money."

"Ah, yes. This is a three thousand tael silver note. Brother Du just happened to ask me to pass it on to the young master."

Upon hearing this, He Quan pulled out three silver notes from his clothes.

"Why are you so generous?"

Jiang Jingming raised an eyebrow, quite surprised.

Du Ziteng, Tianxuan, one of the Seven Star Protectors, is in charge of the sect's financial transactions. He is a notorious miser, a cowardly and cunning fat old man.

"He was very worried when he heard that the young master was leaving. He was also afraid that he would not be able to control his emotions when he saw the young master and would only add to his sadness, so he asked me to pass on the message."

He Quan sighed sadly.

Jiang Jingming also felt it was better not to see him, to avoid the fat old man bursting into tears and making things difficult to handle.

Thinking of this, he thought of something else.

"In that case, let's keep it from Master Han for now. The old man is getting on in years, and I'm afraid he might faint from anger."

"Young Master is wise."

He Quan and Shen Zhuo both agreed with the decision.

Jiang Jingming accepted the silver notes and returned to his room amidst the worried gazes of the two men.

But someone was already waiting.

"Madam Song".

Jiang Jingming leaned against the door frame with one hand, feeling that there was really little point in setting up a door lock in the Duyue Sect.

Lady Song, whose full name was Song Zhiheng, had a bright and dignified appearance, a graceful figure, and retained her charm.

She was sitting at the table drinking tea, with a tied bundle in front of her.

"Young Master's luggage is packed."

Madam Song smiled slightly as she held her teacup.

When she smiles like that, it usually means someone is about to be unlucky and punished.

But today was different; it felt like the gentlest and most tolerant elder in the family.

"Boys your age are always so clumsy; you'll always realize you forgot something halfway there."

"Thank you, Madam Song."

Jiang Jingming walked to the table, picked up another cup of tea that was still warm, and drank it all in one gulp.

The mild and mellow Longjing tea before the rain is probably Mr. Du's private treasure.

"So, Madam Song knows that I'm going to Zhongzhou?"

"Yes, I just went to talk to your father."

Madam Song nodded and put down her teacup.

"Although he was reluctant to say more, I could tell that he was just as worried about you as the rest of us."

"I know."

Jiang Jingming reached out and weighed the bundle in his hand; it was heavier than he had imagined, making a loud "bang" when he placed it on the table.

"These are all necessary things."

Madam Song warned him with her eyes not to even think about reducing his workload.

Jiang Jingming coughed lightly, trying to cover up his misunderstanding, and sat down leaning against the table.

"I wonder if Aqing has anything she needs to bring."

“I’ve been to her room. It was spotless, but empty, like a guest room that hadn’t been used for a long time.”

Madam Song stared at him meaningfully.

Sometimes I feel that girl is light and airy, like a shadow. When you're gone, she's gone too.

"Aqing just doesn't like to talk."

Jiang Jingming glanced at her sideways, then suddenly changed the subject.

"Madam Song, do you like your father?"

"puff!"

Song Niangzi choked on her tea, her face turning bright red.

Such a reaction truly speaks volumes without words.

Jiang Jingming poured himself another cup of tea, a knowing smile on his face.

He had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but Jiang Wuwang was clueless, while he, who had lived to the second life, saw it clearly.

"How could a child understand what liking is?!"

Lady Song realized this was his revenge and couldn't help but glare at him.

"Yes Yes Yes."

Jiang Jingming suddenly remembered something and raised his hand to gesture for him to leave.

"doing what?"

Madam Song still stared wide-eyed, seemingly unwilling to have her thoughts seen through by a mere teenager.

"My father told me to change my clothes. I shouldn't wear red and black, or people will immediately think I'm a member of the Demonic Sect."

Jiang Jingming shrugged.

Why do you care about him?

Madam Song was annoyed.

"You're a handsome young man who looks good in anything, while someone like him, with a fierce and menacing appearance, looks like a demon no matter what he wears!"

"Too."

Jiang Jingming nodded, stood up, and looked around the room where he had lived for ten years.

"After I leave, I'll entrust my father to you. Thank you for taking care of me all these years, Madam Song."

Among the seven guardians of the Crossing Moon Sect, apart from Yao Guang, whose identity is mysterious and whose gender is unknown, there is only one woman, Song Niangzi.

Ultimately, she's the only one who knows how to take care of children. Although she always uses the pretense of law enforcement to scare people, those who have actually been punished know how soft-hearted Madam Song is.

Jiang Jingming, carrying a bundle on his back and with a sword hanging at his waist, walked several dozen steps into the sunlight when he suddenly heard someone singing softly behind him.

There are two flying passengers from the north to the south, and the old wings return to the cold and heat a few times.

Have fun, parting hard, you will be more idiots.

You must have words to say, across ten thousand miles of layered clouds, amidst a thousand mountains covered in evening snow, to whom does this solitary figure turn?

Chapter Seven: A Qing

In the Yongzhou area, beyond the Gobi Desert lies a vast grassland as wide as the sea.

The trade routes that passed through the grasslands were extensive and eventually led to Shulan City, the most famous commercial hub in Yongzhou.

The caravans from Zhongzhou brought finely crafted silks and porcelains from afar, and took away precious spices, gems, and even alluring dancers.

Occasionally, you can see mermaids performing from Cangzhou. I heard that those mermaids have golden-red hair and both men and women have incredibly beautiful faces.

Jiang Jingming had only been to Shulan City once, and that was when he secretly slipped out with Aqing.

As a result, the two had just paid for the merman performance, but before they could even see it, they were caught and taken back by the elusive and ever-present He Quan.

Jiang Jingming rode his horse slowly through the desert, thinking about his childhood. He felt that if he wanted to find Aqing, he should go to Shulan City first.

The sun was shining so hard that the sand was scorching hot, and the horse walked very slowly.

Jiang Jingming didn't urge it on. After walking a few miles, he reined in his horse and looked back.

There is no trace of the Duyue Sect anymore. It was probably considered when the site was chosen that people unfamiliar with the terrain could easily get lost in the desolate cliffs and might not even know that they were just a few miles away from the oasis until they died.

Just as Jiang Jingming was about to turn his horse around and continue onward, he suddenly saw someone standing at the edge of the desert, gazing at him from afar.

The scholar, dressed in a long blue robe, stood hunched over, motionless in the wind and sand.